Nicosia

"We will not let anyone smear Cyprus' reputation," said President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday, following a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on the issue of sanctions imposed by the US and the UK on individuals and legal entities in Cyprus in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Casting doubt on an announcement last week by the Greek soccer federation (EPO) that the Greek Cup Final will take place at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia on May 20, the spokesman for the Cyprus Police said it has not received any formal notification of such an arrangement.

The Executive Committee of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) has announced that the final of the 2022-23 Greek Cup will take place on May 20 in Cyprus, one day before the national elections, accepting the proposal of its president, Panagiotis Baltakos.

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, who is currently in Nicosia for a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, held a meeting with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday. 

It's now been a few weeks since China brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to normalize relations. The deal, and China's role in it, shocked many countries in the region, including the US, and is already having a ripple effect across the Middle East.

Cyprus is currently facing a serious issue with its 5% value-added tax rate for first-time homeowners, as the European Commission has issued a final warning to Nicosia to pass a bill that regulates the issue, which has been ongoing since 2020.

Nicosia says a new effort by Greece and Turkey to improve their relations is positive, but Greek Cypriot officials have been less excited about Athens and Ankara supporting each other's bids in the United Nations.

The United Nations remains committed to helping rival Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots reach an agreement to bridge the island nation's ethnic rift, a senior UN official said Wednesday. The problem has been a source of instability in the east Mediterranean for decades.

Russian nationals were by far the largest group of foreign real estate buyers in Cyprus during the first two months of 2023, according to data by the Department of Lands and Surveys, the department's Director Elikos Elia said during the opening of the 5th Property Show last Friday in Nicosia. Buyers from the UK, Israel, Greece, Lebanon, and Germany followed, Elia said.

The promotion in Cyprus of electric vehicle charging infrastructure will create the green and sustainable cities and communities of tomorrow, the island's Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Yiannis Karousos said in a speech during the presentation of public e-point charging stations in the municipality of Nicosia, at the opening of a station at the junction of Stasandrou and Ayias